We affirm that the core
missions and values of higher education, in particular the
mission to contribute to the sustainable development and
improvement of society as a whole, should be preserved,
reinforced and further expanded, namely, to:

educate highly
qualified graduates and responsible citizens able to meet
the needs of all sectors of human activity, by offering
relevant qualifications, including professional training,
which combine high-level knowledge and skills, using
courses and content continually tailored to the present
and future needs of society;

provide opportunities
(espace curvert) for higher learning and for leaning
throughout life, giving to learners an optimal range of
choice and a flexibility of entry and exit points within
the system, as well as an opportunity for individual
development and social mobility in order to educate for
citizenship and for active participation in society, with
a worldwide vision, for endogenous capacity-building, and
for the consolidation of human rights, sustainable
development, democracy and peace, in a context of
justice.

advance, create and
disseminate knowledge through research and provide, as
part of its service to the community, relevant expertise
to assist societies in cultural, social and economic
development, promoting and developing scientific and
technological research as well as research in the social
sciences, the humanities and the creative arts;

help understand, interpret,
preserve, enhance, promote and disseminate national and
regional, international and historic cultures, in a
context of cultural pluralism and diversity;

help protect and
enhance societal values by training young people in the
values which form the basis of democratic citizenship and
by providing critical and detached perspectives to assist
in the discussion of strategic options and the
reinforcement of humanistic perspectives; and

contribute to the
development and improvement of education at all levels,
including through the training of teachers.

UNIT
1

Introduction

There are two main actors in the
enterprise of teaching and learning  the teacher and the
learner. In Module 1, our focus was on the learner. Starting with
the learner is indicative of the centrality of learners to
teaching. Without students, we will be out of job as teachers.
Since we discussed actor No. 1 (the learner) in Module 1, we will
take on actor No. 2 (the teacher) in this module. Our plan is for
you to gain some understanding of the learner and the teacher
before working through the processes involving the two actors in
subsequent modules.

Why do we need to gain
understanding of the higher education teacher? Perhaps the
straightforward answer can be found from a quote from Julius
Nyerere "It is by gaining insight of our potentialities
that we understand others better". When we know who we
are as teachers, our strengths and weak points, we become
well positioned to appreciate our students and to carry out
our teaching tasks more meaningfully. Profiling the higher
education teacher is the central goal of this module.

As we work through this module,
issues concerning training of higher education teachers begin
to emerge. The argument that 'teacher training' is trivial
and technical for teachers in higher educational institutions
has been hard to sustain. Where once some saw learning to use
an overhead projector as the pinnacle of professional
development, such trivialisation is no longer the case. The
mastery of technical skills now takes a back seat to the
development of the teacher as a self-reflective, ethical and
continuously developing, competent practitioner. Far from
providing 'tips for teachers', professional programmes
emphasise the value laden nature of teaching and the ethical
position of the teacher.

There is a sophisticated discourse
concerning teaching and learning in higher education that many
practitioners never appear to interact with. A likely reason is
that academics see themselves as professionals in their own
discipline-based research area, rather than as professionals in
the area of university teaching. They qualify and are
credentialed by research in a discipline area and they undertake
continuing professional development in that research area by
reading relevant journals and attending conferences. It is
important that academics consider themselves to have a dual
professional allegiance: to their professional (disciplinary)
responsibility as a university researcher and to the profession
of teaching. The latter role can be successfully accomplished
with teacher training experience.

The professionalisation of teaching
is little more than a century old. During its development,
teaching progressed from a primitive, relatively unskilled trade,
to an occupation requiring vocational training, and finally to a
profession demanding thorough, specialised preparation. The
preparation of the teacher is viewed increasingly as a continuous
process that extends throughout his or her tenure. This Guide is
essentially to enhance your preparation for more effective
teaching.

At the end of this module, you
should be able to:

describe the general
characteristics of the higher education teacher;

give a detailed profile of his
or her teaching responsibilities ;

state the expectations of
students and the administration of the research abilities
of the teacher;

state the expectations for
community service of the higher education teacher; and

develop and use an instrument
for measuring the profile of the higher education teacher
in the areas of teaching, research and community service.

At the end of this unit, you should
be able to:

list the general
characteristics of the higher education teacher; and

describe in detail the various
elements of each of the characteristics.

General
Characteristics of the Higher Education Teacher

Traditionally, the higher education
teacher is expected to be an exemplar in:

teaching

research; and

community service.

Advertisements for academic
positions in a university, polytechnic, technikon, college of
education, or other tertiary institutions generally reflect this
tradition. On assumption of duty, the new employee is further
expected to cling to these three strands of responsibilities for
upward advancement. Thus, the higher education academic is
expected to be an exemplar of good teaching, a productive
researcher and someone who can provide good quality extension
service to the institution and to the larger community. With a
respectable record in these three areas of focus, the rise to the
esteemed post of full professor that is much sought after by
academics could be painless and short.

Teaching, research and
community service are the three, traditionally known clusters of
duties of the higher education teacher. Think of the work you do
and the work expected of you by your students, the community, and
the administration of your institution. Is this work covered by
the three traditional areas? If your answer is no, provide a list
of those activities that are not so covered.

Profile as a Teacher

What teaching characteristics
are we expecting of a teacher in a higher institution? A
listing of some of these characteristics is provided below.

An understanding of
how students learn.

A concern for
students' development.

A commitment to
scholarship.

A commitment to work
with and learn from colleagues.

Continuing reflection
on professional practice.

In displaying these
characteristics, the expectation is that the teacher should
have:

designed a teaching
programme or scheme of work from a course
outline, document or syllabus;

used a wide and
appropriate range of teaching and learning
methods effectively and efficiently in order to
work with large groups, small groups, and
one-to-one;

provided support to
students on academic issues in a way which is
acceptable to a wide range of students;

used a wide and
appropriate range of assessment techniques to
support student learning and to record
achievement;

evaluated their own
work with a range of self, peer and student
monitoring and evaluation techniques;

performed effectively
their teaching support and academic
administrative tasks;

developed personal and
professional strategies appropriate to the
constraints and opportunities of their
institutional setting

Higher Education
Teaching

A list of the major goals of higher
education teaching would include such objectives as changing
students' factual knowledge and competence in the course
material, strengthening various cognitive capacities (e.g., study
skills, reasoning, writing and speaking skills), and fostering
intellectual appreciation of the subject matter. For many,
imparting knowledge and skills to students is the major objective
of higher education teaching.

Teaching offers singular
opportunities for the realisation of many important, intrinsic
values in life. It enables, indeed requires the teacher to engage
in a never-ending pursuit of knowledge. The world of the teacher
is a world of learning. The opportunity for self education and
for satisfying intellectual curiosity is unmatched in any other
profession. It is in the education of others that the teacher
finds the secret of his/her own. The teachers role in
educating others is becoming increasingly profound. We have
traditionally thought of the teacher as a dispenser of
information. Today he or she must be conceived as something far
more than that. The knowledge explosion has forced upon us,
fortunately, a new concept of the teacher. It is no longer
possible to dispense during the school years all the knowledge
that students will need in their lifetime, so we have come to
stress "learning how to learn" as the essence of modern
education. Thus the new role of the teacher becomes that of
stimulating the learners curiosity, sharpening powers of
independent intellectual discovery, and strengthening the ability
to organise and use knowledge. In short, helping the learner
acquire lifelong powers of self education.

The teacher has often been spoken
of as an exemplar of fine scholarship, a model scholar whom
students may emulate, the very embodiment of his or her
discipline. This new role of the teacher as exemplar, far more
profound than a role as mere dispenser of information, extends
the impact of the teacher on the modes of thought and methods of
study of the student throughout life. Thus the teacher is
sustained by the challenge of implanting this important
intellectual vestige in others. To help in guiding another
generations chance to grow is perhaps the noblest form of
human expression. This is immortality beyond compare and is
Obafemi Awolowo remarked, it is "as near to having a share
in eternity as one can come in this earthly setting". This
is indeed a difficult calling and a high calling. The teacher is
blessed with the opportunity to answer this call each day.

How well have you used this opportunity as a teacher? Table 2.1 gives a comparison between effective and ineffective behaviours of teachers that can used for self assessment of how well you are answering the call as a teacher.

Table 2.1 Effective
and Ineffective Behaviours of Teachers

Effective
behaviours

Ineffective
behaviours

Is
alert, appears enthusiastic

Is
apathetic, dull; appears bored

Appears
interested in students and classroom activities

Appears
uninterested in students and classroom activities

Is
cheerful, optimistic

Is
depressed, pessimistic; appears unhappy

Is
self controlled, not easily upset

Loses
temper easily, is easily upset.

Likes
fun, has a sense of humour

Is
overly serious, too occupied for humour

Recognises
and admits own mistakes

Is
unaware of, or fails to admit, own mistakes

Is
fair, impartial, and objective in treatment of students

Is
unfair or partial in dealing with students

Is
patient

Is
impatient

Shows
understanding and sympathy in working with students

Is
short with students, uses sarcastic remarks, or in other
ways shows lack of sympathy with students

Is
friendly and courteous in relations with students

Is
aloof and removed in relations with students

Helps
students with personal as well as educational problems

Seems
unaware of students personal needs and problems

Commends
effort and gives praise for work well done

Does
not commend students; is disapproving, hyper-critical.

Accepts
students efforts as sincere

Is
suspicious of pupil motives

Anticipates
reactions of others in social situations

Does
not anticipate reactions of others in social situations

Encourages
students to try to do their best

Makes
no effort to encourage students to try to do their best

Classroom
procedure is planned and well organised

Procedure
is without plan, disorganised.

Classroom
procedure is flexible within overall plan

Shows
extreme rigidity of procedure, inability to depart from
plan

Anticipates
individual needs

Fails
to provide for individual differences and needs of
students

Stimulates
students through interesting and original materials and
techniques

Uninteresting
materials and teaching techniques used

Gives
clear, practical demonstrations and explanations

Demonstrations
and explanations are not clear and are poorly conducted.

Is
clear and thorough in giving directions

Directions
are incomplete, vague

Encourages
students to work through their own problems and evaluate
their accomplishments

Fails
to give students opportunity to work out their own
problems or evaluate their own work

Disciplines
in quiet, dignified, and positive manner

Reprimands
at length, ridicules, resorts to cruel or meaningless
forms of correction.

Gives
help willingly

Fails
to give help or gives it grudgingly

Foresees
and attempts to resolve potential difficulties

Is
unable to foresee and resolve potential difficulties

Let us examine the qualities of the
higher education teacher in a little for detail.

Qualities of the higher education
teacher

A teacher must, of course, have
those intellectual qualities associated with his or her role as
exemplar of fine scholarship. These include

intellectual curiosity

mastery of his or her field of
knowledge and its methods of inquiry

respect for truth

intellectual honesty, and

fundamental understanding of
the learning process.

Make a critical
self-evaluation to determine your standing as a teacher
using Table 2.1 and the list above as criteria.

Summarise the laws of
your state which deal with tenure, salaries, and
retirement.

Describe the best
teacher you had in the university, stating the
characteristics which stand him or her out..

UNIT 2

At the end of this unit, you
should be able to:

state steps to be taken by the
higher education teacher to get the class to a good
start; and

give details of what the
teacher could do to achieve success at every step.

Getting the Class to a Good
Start

The following suggestions,
intended to help you get your class off to a good start,
address the three important tasks of the first day: handling
administrative matters, creating an open and friendly
classroom environment, and setting course expectations and
standards.

Visit the classroom before the
first meeting. Locate and figure out how to work the lights,
the blinds, and the ventilation. Check any audiovisual
equipment (microphone, slide or overhead projector) you will
be using. Find out how to obtain help if a bulb burns out or
a piece of equipment malfunctions. Try speaking in the room
and see how well your voice carries. Make sure your
handwriting on the chalkboard is legible from the back row.

Build a sense of community in
the classroom. In general, students learn more and work
harder in classes that spark their intellectual curiosity and
allow for active involvement and participation. For the first
day, plan an activity that provides opportunities for
students to speak to one another or solve problems. Students
also tend to work harder and respond more positively if they
believe the teacher views them as individuals rather than as
anonymous faces in the crowd. From the start, then, make an
effort to get to know your students and express your interest
in working with them during the semester.

Address students' concerns.
Students enter a new class with several questions: Is this
the right course for me? Does the teacher seem competent and
fair? How much work will be required? How will I be
evaluated? Use the first day to help your students understand
how the class will serve their needs, and demonstrate your
commitment to help them learn.

Set the tone for the rest of
the semester. Greet students when they enter the classroom.
Start and finish class on time. Encourage questions, and give
students the opportunity to talk. Stay after class to answer
questions, or invite students to walk with you back to your
office.

Taking Care of Administrative Tasks

Take attendance. Call the roll
or ask students to sign in. Have a contingency plan if more
students than you can accommodate want to enrol. Check with
your department to see whether policies exist for
preferential enrolment. If your course is an elective, plan
on admitting a few more students than you can comfortably
accommodate; a small number will end up dropping your course.

Review any prerequisites for
the course. Let students know what skills or knowledge they
are expected to have and whether alternate experience or
course work will be accepted. Is help available for those who
do not have all the prerequisite skills? If computer work is
part of the course, will training be provided?

Define your expectations for
student participation. Besides turning in all written
assignments and taking exams, what do you expect of students
during class?

Hand out and discuss the course
syllabus. Have students read the syllabus and then form
groups to identify questions about the course or the teacher.
Hearing these questions on the first day lets the teacher
know immediately what concerns are uppermost in students'
minds.

Review safety precautions. If
your course requires lab work or fieldwork, review safe
practices for using equipment and supplies and discuss
emergency procedures. Show students how to use equipment
safely and appropriately.

Review emergency procedures.
Let students know what to do in case of fire, evacuation, or
other emergency.

Bring copies of the required
texts to the first class meeting. Know which stores besides
the campus bookstore stock the texts. Are used copies
available? Is the textbook on reserve in the library?

Creating a Positive Classroom
Environment

Introduce yourself to your
class. In addition to telling students how you wish to be
addressed, say something about your background: how you first
became interested in the subject, how it has been important
to you, and why you are teaching this course. Convey your
enthusiasm for the field and the subject. For many students,
the teachers enthusiasm about the course material is a
key motivator for learning.

Ask students to fill out an
introduction card. Have students indicate their name,
address, telephone number, electronic mail address, year in
school, and major field. You might also ask them to list
related courses they have taken, prerequisites they have
completed, other courses they are taking this semester, their
reasons for enrolling in your course, what they hope to learn
in the course, tentative career plans, and something about
their outside interests, hobbies, or current employment.

Begin to learn student's names.
By learning your student's names, you can create a
comfortable classroom environment that will encourage student
interaction. Knowing your students' names also tells them
that you are interested in them as individuals. As you call
roll, ask for the correct pronunciation and how the student
prefers to be addressed. If your course enrols few students,
call the roll for several class meetings to help you learn
names. During the term, call students by name when you return
homework or quizzes, and use names frequently in class.

Setting Course Expectations and
Standards

Discuss the objectives of the
course. As specifically as possible, tell your students what
you wish to accomplish and why, but also ask for what they
want to learn from you and what sorts of problems they would
like to tackle. Be sure to acknowledge all
contributionsyour attentiveness to students' ideas will
encourage student participation throughout the semester.

Ask students to list the goals
they hope to achieve by taking the course. Have students, in
small groups or individually, list three to five goals in the
form of statements about knowledge, skills, appreciation,
interests, or attitudes. Students can also rank their goals
in terms of how difficult they may be to achieve. Use these
lists to identify your class's interests and anticipated
problem areas. (Source: Angelo and Cross, 1993)

Describe how you propose to
spend class time. How will sessions be structured? How will
discussions be organised? Will a specific time be set aside
for questions, or may students ask questions as they arise?
Should questions requiring a lengthy response be saved for
office hours?

Give your students ideas about
how to study and prepare for class. Study strategies are
especially important in an introductory class. Give examples
of questions students might wish to think about or strategies
for approaching the material. Tell students how much time
they will need to study for the course, and let them know
about campus academic support services.

If appropriate, give a brief
diagnostic pretest. Explain that this "test" will
not be graded but is designed to give you information on
topics students have mastered and areas in which they need
additional review. You could present a list of key concepts,
facts and figures, or major ideas and ask students to
indicate their familiarity with each. In a writing course you
might assign a short essay that will allow you to identify
students' strengths and weaknesses.

Some Hints to
Enhance the Profile of the Teacher

Provided below are some
suggestions to enhance your profile as a teacher.

Making Clear Presentation

Effective
Speaking

Speak at suitable rate, not
too fast for understanding and note-taking. Speak loudly
enough for the room. Pronounce words distinctly. Modulate
voice; speak expressively rather than in a monotone.
Speak fluently, without excessive pauses or
"ums" and "ahs." Speak naturally
without over reliance on verbatim reading (outlines can
help).

Effective Nonverbal Presentations

Use facial expressions (e.g.,
smiling, laughter), bodily gestures, and movement. Avoid
distracting mannerisms (e.g., playing with chalk,
rocking). Make eye contact with students. Move about the
classroom, do not fix on a desk or lectern. Display a
relaxed manner. Include humour. Use blackboards, other
audiovisual aids, and a variety of methods. Be
enthusiastic and dynamic.

Promoting Student Interest

Describe relevant personal
experiences. State your point of view on issues.
Demonstrate interest in the subject matter and in
teaching. Present challenging and thought-provoking
ideas. Examine controversial issues. Introduce topics in
novel and interesting ways (e.g., a mystery or paradox).
Point out practical applications and interesting
examples. Relate subject matter to current events and
student interests or activities. Encourage new ideas from
students. Use varied activities, media, and formats
(e.g., guest lecture, panel discussions).

Openness to Ideas

Be open to different opinions
and points of view. Let students feel free to question
you, to think independently, and to express dissenting
views. Present and explore points of view other than your
own. Be flexible in your thinking. Contrast the
implications of different theories. Let students be
creative (e.g., generate alternative explanations).
Demonstrate and encourage original and independent
thought.

Promoting Rapport

Be reasonably available for
consultation. Talk with students before, after, and
outside class. Learn students names (e.g., use
class cards). Show interest in how students are doing.
Show interest in students and their ideas. Be sensitive
to student progress and motivation (e.g., know when
students are having difficulty or are bored). Show
concern that students understand and learn the subject
matter. Take action when students lose interest or have
excessive difficulty (e.g., use more examples, modify
requirements?). Make students feel welcome (e.g.,
announce availability for help, be approachable). When
students seek help, be understanding, patient, helpful,
and not overly critical. Be tolerant of other points of
view. Provide opportunities in class for questions.
Engage in give and take with students. Show approval for
student ideas (e.g., positive comments, praise, smile,
nod head). Respect thoughts, opinions, and rights of
students and others.

Review the checklist below with
some of your colleagues and students. Use it to assess yourself,
and other teachers in your department.

CHECKLIST FOR
ASSESSING THE TEACHING PROFILE IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Sensitivity to, and Concern with,
Class Level and Progress:

teacher communicates
effectively at a level appropriate to students'
understanding

textbook is of appropriate
difficulty for the student

teacher seems to be concerned
with whether students learn the material

teacher determines if one
student's problem is common to others

teacher realises when students
are bored or confused

Preparation; Organisation of the
Course:

teacher is well prepared for
class

teacher organises the course
in a logical manner

the course organisation
assists students in developing basic concepts

new information is presented
logically, and is related to ideas already introduced

students perceive the teacher
as well-organised

lectures are easy to outline

Knowledge of the Subject:

teacher demonstrates
comprehensive knowledge of his/her subject

teacher knows the current
research and literature in his/her field

teacher knows his/her field of
specialisation very well

Enthusiasm (for Subject or for
Teaching):

teacher seems interested in
teaching the course

teacher's ability to convey
interest and enthusiasm for subject matter

teacher is dynamic and
energetic

Clarity:

teacher explains clearly and
attempts to answer all questions

students are able to follow
and understand class lectures/presentations

teacher relates concepts in a
systematic manner that helps understanding

teacher uses well chosen
examples to clarify points

teacher summarises major
points

teacher interprets abstract
ideas and theories clearly

Availability and Helpfulness:

teacher encourages students to
see him/her if in difficulty

teacher is readily available
to students outside class for consultation

teacher has rapport with
students

special 'group help' sessions
are provided for students who need it

teacher is conscientious in
keeping appointments with students

teacher is willing to give
personal assistance

Impartial Evaluation of Students;
Quality of Examinations:

concepts emphasised in class
are those emphasised in exams

exams cover material on which
students expect to be tested

exams require student to do
more than recall factual information

exams allow student to
adequately demonstrate what was learned in the course

exams require synthesis of
various parts of the course

the teacher tells students how
they will be evaluated in the course

grades are based on a fair
balance of course requirements and content

students are satisfied with
the way they have been evaluated

students are quizzed
frequently

teacher announces tests and
quizzes in advance

teacher uses more than one
type of evaluation device

These phrases could be useful in
putting together a mid-term course evaluation while there is
still time to make improvements. Collecting feedback at the end
of the course is useful as feedback and for evaluation, but
mid-term evaluations often are more useful in improving
instruction.

Research and Community Service
Profiles of the Higher Education Teacher

We devoted the last unit to
examining how we can discharge our duty as teachers. As you would
have noticed, a great part of this module, profiling the higher
education teacher, is devoted to discussing teaching functions.
Noting that this guide is on teaching and learning, the time
investment on discussing teaching would appear justifiable. Yet,
research and community service are equally important. Indeed,
research is underscored in employment and promotion of academic
staff in higher institutions, much more so than teaching and
community service in many cases. The publish or
perish or publish or be damned entreaty to
academic staff of higher educational institutions, rests largely
on the plank of research activities. "Town meets gown"
phrase projects community service. We turn attention in this Unit
to the attributes of the higher education teacher in research and
community service areas.

At the end of this unit, you should
be able to:

state the importance of
research to improving the profile of a higher education
teacher;

describe attributes of a good
researcher;

state the importance of
community service to improving the profile of a higher
education teacher; and

outline ways by which the
higher education teacher can offer good quality community
service.

Research Profile of
the Higher Education Teacher

Introduction

Among the core goals of a higher
institution is to extend the frontiers of knowledge through
research. The academic staff of the institution are in most
cases, given the mandate to pursue this goal. Thus, aside from
teaching, the institution expects its academic staff to be
actively engaged in research that is ground-breaking. We take
research here to mean the process of inquiry leading to the
solving of a problem. The problem may be in the sciences,
engineering, environment, medicine, social sciences, education or
other disciplines.

Importance of Research to the
Higher Education Teacher

Research is important to the higher
education teacher in three major ways. First, it enhances the
quality of instruction. A teacher who does little or no research
falls back on his or her old lecture notes year after year.
Newness is brought about as a consequence of research. Research
results generated by the teacher or others in the field form the
basis for updating content of lectures and practical work.

Secondly, engagement in research
ensures that the teacher is able to supervise research by his
students more effectively. We are called upon every year to
supervise the research of our students for undergraduate and/or
postgraduate studies in partial fulfilment of a degree or
diploma. Changes in research methods, materials, analysis
procedures and current literature can only be known by the
teacher who is up-to-date in research. Thus, our work and those
of the students we are supervising will benefit tremendously by
our active engagement in research.

The third point of note regarding
the importance of research to the higher education teacher has to
do with promotion. As stated earlier, we are expected to
"publish or perish". Promotion is largely based on
contribution to knowledge through research and publications. No
papers no promotion; no research, no
papers. To move up the ladder, we have to be steep in
productive research. Productive research here means that which
result in articles in refereed journals, books and other
scholarly documents.

Reflect on your life as staff
in a higher institution. What role(s) did research play
in your (a) teaching; and (b) promotion?

Describe ways by which your
teaching and promotion would have been enhanced if you
had greater opportunity to undertake research.

State other ways by which your
service as a teacher has been influenced by your research
activities.

Characteristics of a Good
Researcher

The following are some of the
characteristics of a good researcher:

Ability to identify problems

Research is about problem solving.
Thus, the ability to identify, state and define the boundaries to
problems is an important characteristic of a researcher. Premium
is placed more on problems of concern to the immediate
environment of the researcher. For example, an educational
researcher will be applauded for seeking solutions to pressing
educational problems within the local community or country. Same
goes for agricultural scientists addressing problems faced by
farmers in a region or country.

Ability to design an efficient
method of solving the problem

Problem identification is one
thing; the methodology for solving the problem is another. The
researcher needs to have the ability to employ an efficient and
parsimonious design for solving the problem.

Resourcefulness in implementing
research plan

No research design or plan is
foolproof. During implementation, some unforeseen events may
occur demanding changes or modifications to the original plan.
The good researcher should be resourceful in making such
modifications or changes. Perhaps equipment needs to be
improvised or techniques adjusted. It is the good researcher who
is able to respond quickly to these challenges.

Objectivity

Research is the pursuit of truth
which comes about as a result of an objective quest. In his or
her procedures, data collection and interpretation, the
researcher must exercise objectivity, that is, no bias throughout
the implementation of the research plan.

Honesty

Honesty has to do with reporting
ones observations as truthfully as possible. Data
adjustments and fudging to suit pre-conceived theoretical
positions are hallmarks of the crooked researcher.

Perseverance

The researcher ought to keep going
on the research plan in spite of delays and disappointments.
Difficulties do arise. The researcher never gives up until all
the evidence needed for decision making are in.

Willingness to collaborate with
others

Solo efforts in conducting research
are good. Joint and co-operative efforts are better, after all,
two heads are better than one. A good attribute is
for the researcher to be able to work as part of a team. He or
she should be able to bring knowledge, experience and expertise
to bear on a segment of the research project to complement
knowledge and skills of the other members of the team. It has
been observed that collaborate group research projects receive
better evaluation than individual projects.

Ability to supervise others

A researcher should be able to
effectively supervise the research work of students and junior
colleagues.

Skills in writing winning grant
proposals

Most high-quality research projects
are funded by the institution or agencies external to it. Funding
agencies receive several proposals for funding from which only a
few are chosen. The competition generated by the process demands
that researchers are able to write proposals that have high
likelihood of winning grants.

Skills in reporting for publication

On concluding the research, a
report results. For us in academia, the report is usually sent in
form of an article to a publication outlet such as a refereed
journal. The skill in writing good quality journal articles for
publication consideration is an important hallmark of a
researcher.

Use the self-report inventory below
to assess your ability as a researcher.

VG= Very Good

G= Good

P= Poor

VP= Very Poor

S/No.

Characteristic

V.G.

G.

P

VP.

1.

Ability
to identify problems

2.

Ability
to design efficient research plan

3.

Resourcefulness

4.

Objectivity

5.

Honesty

6.

Perseverance

7.

Willingness
to collaborate with others

8.

Skills
of writing winning grant proposals

9.

Ability
to supervise research

10.

Skills
in writing acceptable research reports

Make note of the areas needing
improvement. Make an effort to remedy deficient areas within a
convenient time frame.

Community Service

It is not enough for the teacher in
a higher institution to be concerned only with his or her
teaching and research. There is the need to serve the community
in other ways. By community we mean both the community within the
institution and the community outside it.

Service within the institutional
community

This includes committee work and
membership of task forces, patron to student and staff societies,
and office holder of staff societies.

Service outside the institution

Examples of service offered by
higher education teachers to the community outside the university
are:

Participation in special local
and national assignments and services

Delivery of public lectures

Offering of services in
ones specialised area e.g. medical care

Office holder of national
societies e.g. President of Science Teachers Association.

State the characteristics
needed for successful participation in community service.

Prepare a checklist like that
developed for research.

Assess yourself and a
colleague using this checklist.

How can you improve on your
performance on these characteristics?

Summary

In this module, we reviewed the
major characteristics of the higher education teacher in the
areas of teaching, research and community service. We identified
attributes that will ensure success in the three areas. For
teaching, we identified the following:

an understanding of how
students learn;

a concern for students'
development;

a commitment to scholarship;

a commitment to work with and
learn from colleagues;

continuing reflection on
professional practice.

For research we noted the following
as attributes:

Ability to identify problems

Ability to design efficient
research plan

Resourcefulness

Objectivity

Honesty

Perseverance

Willingness to collaborate
with others

Skills of writing winning
grant proposals

Ability to supervise research

Skills in writing acceptable
research reports

For community service, we noted
that committee work and membership of task forces, patron to
student and staff societies, and office holder of staff societies
are services that can be offered within the institution. Examples
of service offered by higher education teachers to the community
outside the university are: